Hemorrhagic enteritis, sometimes called "hemorrhagic syndrome" appears to be caused by a filterable agent in association with intestinal streptococci. Hemorrhagic enteritis of turkeys has been responsible for serious losses in flocks, especially in the eastern United States in recent years. The disease generally affects poults between 7 and 12 weeks of age, but some outbreaks have occurred as early as 31/2 weeks and as late as 20 weeks. Generally occurring in warm weather, both range- and confinement-reared birds have developed the disease. Mortality varies but is often between 10 and 15% in a 10- day period, usually the course of the out-break.
Signs of the disease are bloody droppings, droopy birds, and mortality. The disease can be reproduced by inoculating the turkey orally with the intestinal contents of diseased birds. The disease is recognized by a great amount of hemorrhage in the small intestine. Often, there is a ballooning of the entire intestine and its contents appear similar to strawberry jam, caused by extensive swelling and sloughing of the intestinal villi.
Insofar as is known, there is no absolute cure for the disease. Thousands of turkeys are lost every year because of the disease. Recovered flocks seems to develop antibodies in blood and blood serum from such flocks has been used with some evidence of success as a treatment when given early in the out-break of the disease. The disease runs its course in a relatively short period of time and the turkeys either die or recover but because of the short period, it is difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of an antiserum or any other treatment.